Check-protector



C. R. SIMMS. "CHECK PROTECTOR. APPLICATION Euro-s n. 18, ms. 4

Patented Mar. 30, 1920.

v 3 SHEETS-SHEET I- ATTORN EY PatentedMar. 30', 1920.-

a SHEETS-SHEET 2. v

' INVENTOR wiTNEssEs ATTdRNEY UNITED PATENT @FFLHJE.

CLAUDE R. SIMMS, OF FLEMING, COLORADO.

-in the check is pushed forward a distance corresponding to the length of the word embossed or printed thereon.

' Another object is to simplify the general structure of' the machine and reduce its cost of manufacture so'as to put itin the reach of all. f

Yet other objects will be descr bed as the following specification proceeds, and referonce is made to the drawings herewith and in which: v

Figure 1 is a front elevation,

Fig. 2 a plan view,

Fig. 3 a rear elevation with the casing removed,

Figs. 4 and 5 are vertical sect1ons on the lines 4-4 and 5-5 of Fig. 3, and

Fig. 6 a perspective detail of the platen and its operating mechanism.

On a suitable base 1 is mounted a housing 2 consisting of a casing shaped to fit closely over the parts yet to be described and to present a pleasing appearance, and parts of this'housin will-be removable as usual in machines 0 this character in order that access to the interior mechanism may be had. Toward the front the housing has a drum 3 having an opening in the to vas at 4 for a purpose yet'to be describe and a hinged door 5 to give access to the ink ng mechanism. To the right of this drum 1s a table 6 with 'a flange 7 upstanding fr m ts rear edge and an adjustable gage 8 .at its right edge, and it is upon this table that-the check is laid against the flange -and fed to the left into the opening 9 best seen 1n Flg. 4; here it passes under the ype wheel and over the platen, and finally it is engaged by the feed rollers in a manner yet to be described. For checks of different widths or when it is desired to print the inscription at different points thereon, the feed table may be adjusted by a screw 10 swiveled in bear- .ings 11 and having a knob 12 at its front end Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed September 18 1918.

Patented Mar. 30, 1920.

Serial No. 254,576.

the screw engaging a nut 13 beneath the table.

On ashaft 20 is journaled a type wheel 21 having characters on its periphery as best indicated in Fig. 3 for printing words designating numbers if this device is to be used for marking checks. Short words such as one and six would of course require only three letters, whereas long words such as seventeen would require characters leading a considerable distance across the periphery of this type wheel, and therefore said periphery must be made as wide as the length of the longest word. I will here say that the working face of the type may be serrated or otherwise'roughened so as to embed the paper of the check being printed and the working face of the platen will then be bear on' some part of the type wheel so that v the type surface will be constantly inked and such as are thrown into contact with the check will therefore print thereon, besides embossing or imprinting. Fast on the shaft 20 is a gear 24 meshing with another gear 25 which is fast on a rear shaft 30 as seen in Fig. 4. The two gears are of the same wheel when the notch in question is at the top of the notched wheel, the purpose being set forth below.

A hand lever 40 is fast on a shaft 41 which carries a gear sector 42 within the housing meshing with teeth 43 in an upright plunger 44, the same being guided through the frame work 16'as at 45. finger 46 so disposed that it engages the uppermost notch 34 in the wheel 33 when the plunger descends under the action of the hand lever 41, but a spring 47 restores the plunger to its raised position and the hand lever to normal when pressure on the latter is released. .\t the left end of the shaft 20 is a knob 48 best seen in Figs. 1 and 2, and whenthe type wheel 21 is turned by this knob On this plunger is a so that an indicating figure appears through causes the descent of the plunger 44 and. its finger 46 moves into the appropriate notch 34; and thus it will be seen that the descent of the plunger is proportional to O the length of the word about to be printed. The feed mechanism consists of an upper or presser roller 50 carried by a springpressed hand lever 51 at the left end of the opening 9 as seen in Fig. 1 and a lower mechanically operated roller' 52 which is fasten a'shaft 53 as seen. in Fig. 5, as usual. Bevel gears 54 connect the shaft 53 with a cross shaft 55 jounialed in the frame work 16 directly beneath the rear shaft 30 as best seen in Figs. 3 and 5, and a ratchet 56 on the shaft is engaged by a springpressed pawl 57v to prevent a retrograde movement thereof.

The feed mechanism is actuated by the. rise of the plunger. The latter toward its lower, end is provided with teeth 63 en- .g'aglng a gear '62 mounted loosely on the cross shaft 55 and constituting one element of a clutch. The contiguous element 61 is slidably mounted on the shaft and splined thereto in any appropriate manner, as by having a pin passing through a, slot in the shaft as seen in Fig. 3, and the contiguous faces of these two elements are provided with ratchet teeth 60. Springs 64 press the'elements normally toward each other so that the ratchet teeth on the adjacent faces are held engaged by yielding pressure. The disposition of the teeth 60 is such that on 0 the descent of the plunger the gear 62 rotates idly past the element 61, and the latter and the shaft 55 Wlll'IlOt be turned on account of the pawl and ratchet mechanism 56,57; but on the ascent of the plunger the ratchet teeth 60 engage the clutch, when the camsperr'nit the teeth 60 to engage each other, the shaft is turned at a distance equ'al'to the rise of the plunger. This in turn rotates the shaft 53 and the feed roller 50 52 a corresponding distance. Thus it will be seen that if the finger 46 had been moved downward into a long slot for the word sevcnteen for instance, the subsequent rise of the plunger and rotation of the feed mechanism would be considerable and the printed check would be moved along under the type wheel a distance corresponding to 'the length of so long a word. I

The printing is perforn'ied by the upward movement of the platen 70. This element is mounted 'on two arms 71 pivoted at 72 in the framework 16, and connected at their rear ends by a cross rod 73 "from which rise links 74 connected in turn at their upper ends to shaft 30, and other lipks 76 extend thence forward and are pivoted directly on the shaft 20, so as to cause the shaft 30 to rise. and fall through an arc in rear-of the plunger and in slots 75 in the frame 16.

A. spring 7 8 connects said plunger with the center of the cross rod 73 as shown. Nowf when the plunger is moved downward under impulse of the handle lever 40, tension is put onto this spring 78 and the entire structure shown inFig. 6 ismoyed. The result is that the platen 7O rises and the head is forced upward against the type which will be clear. This occurs while the finger is entering and passing downward in the proper notch'3l, and is therefore holding 80 the type wheel stationary while the printing takes place. On. the upward movement of the finger during the return movement of the plunger, the tension of the spring 78 is' released and the forward feed of the check permitted in a manner already described.

The foregoing description and the drawings have reference to what may be considered the preferred, or approved form of my invention. It is to be understood that I may make such changes in construction and an rangement and combination of parts, materials, dimensions,'et cetera, as may prove expedient and fall within the scope of the appended claims.

Having thus fully described my invention, what i claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is:--

1. In a device of the class described, the combination with a type wheel. and means for setting it manually, a platen, and a pivoted support therefor; of an upright plun-. gcr mounted in guides, means for holding it normally raised, means for depressing it manually, and a spring connecting the plungel with the platen support 2. In a machine of the class described, the combination with a manually set type wheel having dies of different lengths on its periphcry, a platen, a vertically movable plun- 11o ger, means holding it normally raised, a hand lever for depressing it, and connections between it and said platen; of a finger on the plunger, a wheel having notches iii its periphcry corresponding with the length of said dies adapted to receive said finger, gearing connecting this wheel with the type wheel, teeth on said plunger, a clutch element engaging said'teeth, a shaft on which it is loosely mounted, a second clutch ele-' ment splined on said shaft and springpressed toward the first element, a feed mechanism, and connections between said shaft and mechanism.

3. A device of the class described, the combination with a type wheel and means for setting it manually, a platen, and a piv oted support therefor; of an upright plunger mounted in guides, a'spring for holding said plunger normally raised, means for depressing it manually, and means for con-' necting the plunger with the platen support.

4. A device of the class described, the combination with a type Wheel and means for setting same, a platen, a frame for pivotally supporting said platen, said frame consisting of a pair of parallel arms, the ends of said arms being attached to a rod, links connecting said rod to the main sup- 10 porting shaft; of an upright plunger mountpraised, means IEO'I' depressing it manually and a spring connecting the plunger with 'the platen support. 4

In testimony whereof I afiix my signa- 15 ture in presence of two Witnesses.

' CLAUDE R. SIMMS. \Vitnesses:

J. A. JAMESON, RENA M. SIMMs. 

